


the world was on fire (and no one could save me but you)

by goodbones



Category: Jane the Virgin (TV)
Genre: F/F, Not Right Now, also lol i forgot, also the formatting is weird because i was lazy, although it's an important part of it i guess, and by videos i mean the luisa/rose scenes only, and i do know how to capitalize correctly, and i have no legal knowledge so don't even try to hold me accountable, and it's really not what this is about, and luisa is hella protective, and they love each other, but i could not get this shit out of my head, but it's good okay, but like, emilio is a MAJOR asshole, i guess, i guess just please be nice, i promise i can spell, if you decide to read it, im a picky reader and i could read it so, it's not explicit, like WAY out of normal asshole boundaries, luisa isn't married in this, minor smut??, my knowledge of this show and this ship all comes from watching youtube videos, please take care, really it's just sad girl hours over here and it came pouring out, right??, rose is not sin rostro, so it's just 11k words about a ship that i only boarded like a week ago, so like, thank you, that sounds pretentious but i'm honest, that's all that really matters right, there's mentions of abuse so if that's an issue, this is also slightly ooc i think but i don't care, whatever, with a side of extra ballsy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:55:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21581542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodbones/pseuds/goodbones
Summary: or, four times luisa wants to kill her father and one time she almost does
Relationships: Luisa Alver & Rose Solano, Luisa Alver/Rose Solano
Comments: 3
Kudos: 39





	the world was on fire (and no one could save me but you)

**Author's Note:**

> hey, so this is my first time writing for this ship and since i babbled on in the tags i'll keep this brief. there's mentions of domestic violence and it gets worse before it gets better. there's nothing explicit though and i'm a fan of happy endings, so i promise it all works out okay in the end. 
> 
> if, for whatever reason, people read this and feel inclined to yell at me, my tumblr (@fanblogwhatfanblog) is always open, (unfortunately for everyone).
> 
> thank you for reading, and i hope life is treating you kindly!
> 
> also, again, please forgive me for the formatting but i would've never written it had i forced myself to do it the right way. yikes.

* * *

\- the first time luisa thinks about killing her father is on his wedding day

\- this has almost nothing to do with him and everything to do with the woman next to him

\- it’s rose who is standing next to him, rose who was underneath luisa not even two days before

\- rose who is everything luisa never knew she needed

\- rose who is adamant she loves emilio, adamant she can’t back out of the engagement now

\- rose whose smile doesn’t quite meet her eyes when she’s around _him_

\- rose who is breaking luisa’s heart

\- and luisa doesn’t know anything anymore except that she can’t help but want her father _gone_

* * *

\- the second time is at christmas

\- luisa briefly wonders if there’s a curse on family celebrations

\- it doesn’t really matter, she thinks, because being anywhere that her father is seems to stoke her anger

\- because it usually means she has to see rose

\- rose, who is now her father’s _wife_

\- rose who is unavailable in the all of the possible ways one can be

\- yet it’s rose who manages to find her in the bathroom

\- rose who kisses luisa desperately, becoming pliant in her arms, who whispers _please_

\- and of course, luisa can’t say no to the only woman she’s actually loved

\- naturally, she sinks to her knees, only to feel rose grasping at her shoulders

\- she tries to tug her back up and luisa complies, never one to deny rose anything

\- rose kisses her fiercely, arching into the brunette and grabbing her hand

\- luisa knows where rose is leading her, and she smirks when feels rose pull her hand to her waistline

\- but it’s been so _long_ since she’s tasted rose, since she’s been able to consume the other woman and _be _consumed herself

\- luisa ignores that part of her, instead focusing on the fact that she’s here with rose now

\- in whatever capacity she’s able to be

\- luisa makes the most of what rose gives her, always, always, always

\- so, she attaches her mouth to rose’s neck, biting and sucking, never hard enough to leave a mark

\- and then soothes the little red marks with her tongue, trails up rose’s neck, to her jaw

\- she loses herself in soft skin, until rose is a panting, writhing mess underneath her fingers, whimpering and begging, _luisa…_

\- so, luisa redoubles her efforts, slipping her hand into rose’s slacks and touches her in all the right ways

\- she revels in rose’s soft cries before bringing the woman over the edge quickly on her fingers

\- luisa muffles rose’s moans with her mouth, fusing their lips together as rose’s hands find purchase in her hair

\- and after rose comes down a bit, while she’s trying to control her breathing, her legs weak, luisa leans in to support her and drops to the floor once again

\- she’s holding rose up with an arm across her waist, feels rose’s hands twitch in her hair as if she’s trying to pull her up again

\- but luisa’s already working on getting the tailored slacks unbuttoned, pulling them down swiftly

\- and then she feels rose go rigid, the woman’s voice shakes, _luisa, wait_

\- luisa gives a light _shhh_, simply presuming that her lover is still sensitive, and skirts her fingers along creamy thighs

\- she’s about to lean in, eager to be close to rose in that way again, to taste her, but the woman’s voice is firmer when she speaks again

\- _luisa, stop_, rose says, it’s stronger this time, and she gives luisa’s shoulders a push, albeit a weak one

\- the action fills the brunette’s stomach with dread, and she leans back to ask what’s wrong when she sees _them_

\- there’s a moment where she thinks she stops breathing

\- the shaky clench of rose’s hands on her shoulders tells her that rose _knows_ she’s been caught

\- and luisa lets out an audible gasp as she realizes what rose had been doing, what she had been trying to hide

\- there’s five distinct bruises on each of rose’s thighs, four on the top, towards the outside

\- and one slightly larger one on each of the insides

\- the blue and purple coloring is a stark contrast to rose’s pale skin, and it takes luisa’s brain a minute to catch up

\- by the time she fully understands what she’s seeing, rose has already wiggled away, quickly pulling her pants back on

\- luisa is on her feet in an instant, rose’s name falling out of her mouth softly

\- but when she reaches out, rose turns away, shaking her head

\- her voice is icy when she speaks, _i told you to stop_

\- luisa starts to say something but rose is set on leaving, her hand already twisting the doorknob

\- a higher power gets luisa’s feet to move and she puts her hand on the knob as rose is about to pull it open, blocking her exit

\- the flinch that accompanies rose’s move to turn around both breaks luisa’s heart and fills it with anger

\- _was it him? _

\- luisa grits out the words, her eyes searching clear blue ones

\- _i can’t do this right now_, comes the soft reply, and rose’s voice is thick, her eyes welling with tears

\- the brunette runs her fingers gently across rose’s cheek, but she feels the woman’s jaw clench beneath her touch

\- sees the familiar walls being built up behind rose’s eyes again

\- _if someone hurt you_, _or **is** hurting you,_ luisa whispers, _if it’s **him**…_

\- rose’s eyes slam shut, and she shakes her head, when she opens them again, the cool blue is emotionless

\- _it’s none of your business_, and then she’s gone, turning and slipping out the door before luisa can stop her again

\- the last fifteen minutes of their encounter play on repeat in her head as she steps out of the bathroom

\- and when she sees rose wipe her eyes on her way back to emilio’s side

\- sees her stiffen when he slings a possessive arm low on her waist, giving rose a suggestive once over and bringing her closer

\- luisa sees red

* * *

\- the third time she wants to kill her father, he isn’t even there

\- but in many ways, he is, like a ghost who is mercilessly haunting her

\- she hadn’t spoken to rose since christmas, and now, two weeks into the new year, there was still silence

\- rose hadn’t sought her out since their night in the bathroom

\- and luisa hadn’t stopped thinking about it since

\- the distinctly finger-shaped marks that marred rose’s thighs had been the subject of all of her thoughts

\- every time she thought of rose, she saw them, and every time she pictured them, her mind went to her father

\- the way he held rose, the way he grabbed her arm, led her, always touching her in public, watching every move she makes

\- like she was _his_

\- luisa hadn’t stopped fuming, the rage licking through her veins like she’d never felt before

\- but even more so there was concern

\- concern for rose

\- for her safety, her wellbeing, for _her_

\- luisa was absolutely, positively, wrought with worry over how the woman was doing – if she was okay

\- consumed by thoughts of what she’d do to _him_ if he hurt her

\- if he ever hurt her again

\- what if he’s hurting her now?

\- **_stop_**, she has to tell herself

\- and when she hears from rafael about her father’s plans

\- plans that rose used to tell her

\- although that’s not important right now

\- because rafael is on the phone, telling her that emilio went out of state for the weekend by himself to conduct some business

\- luisa is out the door of the restaurant she had been at before they’ve even said goodbye

\- she finds herself at the hotel eventually, having spent most of the journey over in her head

\- of their own accord, her feet take her to her father’s suite

\- before she even takes a second to think that rose might not even _be _here, luisa is knocking

\- and it’s a _long _wait

\- so much so that she almost turns to leave, her concern for rose the only thing keeping her rooted where she stands

\- and after a couple of painstaking moments, she hears the chain rattle

\- and the door opens

\- and she’s seeing rose for the first time in what feels like forever

\- the redhead is just standing in the doorway, a mixture of shock and anger on her face

\- but luisa pays it no mind, choosing to busy herself instead by drinking in every detail of the woman she loves

\- rose breaks the silence eventually, a simple question tumbling tiredly from her lips, _what is it, luisa? _

\- and luisa can’t help but think that she’s never seen rose like this, at least, not with her

\- cagey and quick to anger

\- like her emotions are on a hair trigger, while simultaneously withdrawn into herself, eyes wide like a doe

\- luisa’s heart breaks as she takes it all in, especially the imperceptible fear that seems to be lurking behind icy blue eyes

\- _i’ve been worried_, luisa mumbles, _can i please come in?_

\- rose looks like she’s going to say no, going to shut the door in her face

\- in fact, when rose takes a breath, luisa is already preparing an argument

\- but instead, rose just gives a resigned sigh, opening the door farther and ushering the brunette in

\- she shuts the door quietly, and luisa watches as delicate hands tremble when rose moves to lock it

\- when rose turns around, she doesn’t say anything, just quirks an eyebrow and waits

\- luisa wrings her hands nervously, suddenly unsure of herself, unsure of what to say

\- _rose, _she starts, her eyes wide, pleading, _please. can we please talk about it?_

\- the slender woman crosses her arms, _i told you there was nothing to talk about._

\- she brushes past luisa, their shoulders touching for just a second

\- she’s so close that luisa can smell her, longs to reach out – it’s an impulse she’s never handled well

\- so, she does

\- luisa turns, making a last-ditch effort to bring rose closer to her, tanned fingers wrapping around rose’s covered forearm

\- it’s weird, luisa notes

\- sure, winters in miami are cool, but the hotel is usually on the warmer side, and rose always enjoyed the chill

\- they’d bicker about having the fan on, the a/c on, what was an appropriate temperature for sleep

\- yet she’s standing before luisa in a heavy, cream sweater while it’s over 65 degrees out and a little over 70 in the room

\- luisa frowns, and when she tugs on rose’s arm, the frown deepens

\- rose gasps, _damn it, luisa_, falling from her lips as she yanks her arm away, turning to face the brunette

\- there’s fire in her eyes but the fear is more pronounced too

\- luisa has so many questions, so many on the tip of her tongue

\- about how this is _not _rose

\- not the woman she loves

\- not any of the things that she has come to know and associate with rose

\- but they die in her mouth

\- besides, they’ve always been more physical people

\- so, she reaches out again, grasping the other arm now

\- and rose tries to back up, tries to pull away, but she’s too late

\- she wants to let out a string of profanities

\- rose is already frustrated with herself for letting luisa in to the apartment, letting her into her head, into her heart

\- but she can’t give up the feeling of safety that the brunette exudes

\- the feeling of tenderness, of someone who touches her so carefully

\- with gentle hands, good intentions, eyes that are always shining with wonder and awe

\- kindness and compassion and _love_

\- but not even luisa’s gentle grip could’ve stopped it

\- the pained gasp falls out of her mouth of its own volition, and she damns the tears that spring to her eyes

\- damns the wince that she knows flashes across her face

\- because she’s watching luisa watching her and knows the brunette catches it all, is putting it together in her head

\- she wants to be swallowed whole by the ground beneath her feet

\- while luisa looks as though she wants to burn everything down with her, itching to scorch everything in her path

\- rose doesn’t even fight this time, resignation washing over her as she yields to luisa’s probing gaze, nods her assent

\- luisa is painfully deliberate when she moves her fingers again

\- being ever so careful not to cause any more pain to the woman in front of her as she rolls up the sleeves of the sweater

\- and rose does nothing but hold her wrists out, an ironic portrait of surrender

\- luisa has to swallow the gasp that is trapped in her throat, her breath coming out in a staccato burst instead

\- _rose…_

\- there are no words, nothing that she can conjure up to give a voice to everything she’s feeling

\- rose’s wrists and forearms are covered in a smattering of reds, blues, and purples

\- all finger shaped blots and angry redness

\- luisa nearly vomits as she stares at them, marks that only come from being held down

\- from the heavy touch of someone who doesn’t care what happens to rose

\- there’s some yellow too, indicating that luisa is seeing fresh ones, but they certainly weren’t the first

\- luisa gulps, it’s likely they won’t be the last

\- the light hues are standing out against the fair skin, and the fact that rose’s freckles still peek through make luisa want to sob

\- this is _her _rose, the woman she loves, the woman she would do anything to protect

\- and something _bad _is happening

\- a lone tear escapes rose’s eye and she blinks the rest away, turning her head to the side

\- she removes her arms from luisa’s grasp slowly, though she misses the warmth instantly

\- luisa who lets go without argument, not wanting to cause any more pain

\- the sleeves are rolled back down, and rose struggles to take a steadying breath, but she manages

\- _rose, we have to do something_, luisa pleads, inching closer to the woman, itching to reach out and draw her near

\- but rose just shakes her head, worries her bottom lip between her teeth

\- _there’s nothing to do_, she whispers, _he didn’t mean it._

\- luisa feels it boil up inside her, the fury coursing through her veins again

\- _like **hell**_, she spits

\- _look at your arms, rose._

_\- your legs._

\- _that’s not an accident, _luisa is trying so hard, so hard to control her voice

\- she can see rose is anxious, is _scared_, and she hates that the fiery woman she loves has been replaced by whatever is standing in front of her

\- _he was drunk_, rose says, leveling her gaze back on luisa, _people do things they don’t mean when they’re drunk._

\- luisa tries not to recoil at the statement, knows that rose is trying to push her away

\- trying to build up the walls again, manufacture distance between them

\- _you don’t have to stay here_, luisa ignores her, chooses instead to focus on the more important part - rose’s safety

\- _you can leave him_, she tries, knows that it’ll make rose seethe, but she has to say it

\- you could come with me, she wants to say, but it never comes out

\- _no_, rose snaps, _i can’t._

\- what she means is that she won’t, and although luisa has heard this before

\- there’s a finality to it that makes luisa feel sick

\- _you know this isn’t right_, luisa tries again, reaching out for rose’s shoulder, for anything

\- but rose shrugs it off, turns around

\- _there are many things that aren’t right in my life, luisa._

\- it hits like a freight train, but the brunette reminds herself that this isn’t rose

\- not hers, at least, not the woman she loves and who she’s sure loves her too

\- but that only brings minimal comfort when rose takes a step away from her, towards the bedroom, looking over her shoulder for only a second

\- _you should go_, rose says softly, _his flight was cancelled, and he’ll be back soon._

\- luisa finds it hard to swallow, wants to grab rose by the waist, wants to tuck the woman into her own body, wants to whisk her out of here

\- take her somewhere safe

\- somewhere, anywhere but here

\- _rose…_

\- she can see it in the woman’s posture, the straightening of her shoulders, the way she drops her arms to her sides, hands clenching

\- _go, luisa_, it’s a command and a plea, and it breaks luisa’s heart all the same, _please._

\- every fiber in her being tells her to stay, to fight, but rose has already disappeared, closed the door, made it clear that their time was done

\- and so luisa leaves

\- the different ways she could make her father disappear flash through her head on the way home like some sick slideshow

\- it’s not the first time that it’s happened, but it _is_ the only time in her life that it’s been this bad

\- and luisa doesn’t try to stop it

* * *

\- the fourth time luisa wants to kill her father, she wishes that she had

\- she doesn’t even think of him as a father anymore

\- fathers don’t do the things he does

\- it was emilio who married the woman she loves

\- emilio who was always more concerned with business than with family

\- emilio who, despite rafael’s beliefs, really never gave a shit about luisa

\- who wasn’t there when she got out of rehab

\- didn’t answer when she called to tell him she was six months sober

\- emilio who, in her mind, hasn’t been her father in a long while

\- but god if he hadn’t found a new place in her life as the object of all of her hatred

\- the man who’s hurting rose

\- who’s drinking now, apparently

\- who is currently drunk, laughing as he nearly spills a fresh drink on himself while he jokes with some friends

\- luisa leans back into the wall, her head giving a dull thud as she throws it back

\- she’s never been a fan of birthdays, but especially _his_

\- it’s just him and his favorite child, father and son

\- him and his boys’ club business partners

\- and a party that lasts too long into the night with far too much alcohol that luisa is unable to drink

\- normally seeing rose would make it worth it, would give her some sort of purpose

\- but not as of late

\- it had been a month since she had been told to go

\- a month of no calls, no texts

\- a month of being ignored, of being dodged

\- even rafael seemed to be helping rose hide, skillfully dodging any questions luisa may have

\- and it breaks her heart to know that as much as she wishes it was some evil move by her father

\- it was likely just rose

\- rose pushing her away

\- rose retreating into herself for whatever reason

\- rose who was resigned to the fact that this was now her reality

\- rose who decided to go at it alone

\- rose who is looking at her now, all luscious waves of red, dressed to kill in a tight white skirt, emerald long sleeve blouse, and strappy nude heels

\- rose who knows this is one of luisa’s favorite outfits, but the sleeves make luisa’s stomach roll now

\- she knows what’s underneath, and she breaks eye contact with rose to level a glare at emilio’s back

\- emilio who has the most beautiful woman in the room on his arm, but would rather tell another obnoxious story to his friend

\- emilio who leans on her for support as he finishes off another drink

\- emilio who ignores the way his wife flinches, the pain that crosses her features before she schools them

\- emilio whose large hand grabs where rose’s shoulder meets her slender neck, fingers wrapping around and squeezing as he gives her a small shake

\- like rose was one of his childhood friends, co-workers, an object for him to manhandle

\- not the gorgeous, kindhearted goddess of a woman that luisa had always maintained should only be touched with reverence, with _love_

\- if you were ever lucky enough to do so, that is

\- luisa almost breaks the flute of sparkling cider in her hand as she watches it happen, unable to do anything but seethe as she observes the interaction

\- rose manages to shrug him off eventually, a fake laugh dying on her lips as he finishes a story

\- she whispers something in his ear before she turns to leave, but he grabs her elbow and pulls her to him instead

\- luisa’s back straightens and she leans forward, ready to cross the room in seconds if he decides to do something stupid

\- rose looks painfully uncomfortable, posture rigid and cheeks flushed, but she nods along with what he says

\- she turns to go and one of his friends says something, they all laugh, heads thrown back

\- emilio recovers first, and as rose finally walks past him, he reaches out and slaps her ass

\- another round of laughter ensues

\- luisa sets her drink down, her hands ball into fists, and the only thing that grounds her is rose’s piercing blue stare

\- rose stops for a second when he does it, and luisa can see her jaw clench, can see the once familiar fighter instinct crawl up

\- but it’s gone in a second, drowned out by the laughter and leering behind her

\- instead, rose’s eyes fall downward, redness spreads across her cheeks and luisa can see the shame that riddles her features

\- the woman takes a shaky breath and continues walking, catches luisa’s eyes for a second before turning downward again

\- she folds in on herself as she walks away, her pace picking up as she tries to get out of the room as fast as possible

\- luisa is close enough when rose walks past her that she can see the tears welling in those beautiful eyes

\- it takes everything she has not to go shove emilio up against the hotel bar, to grab him by the collar in front of all of his little friends

\- to shake him and scream at him, to bruise him the way he bruised rose

\- instead, she has to focus on not reaching out for rose, reminding herself that she can’t do that _here_

\- not with so many eyes around them, and certainly not where _he_ could see

\- luisa wouldn’t risk doing anything that would cause her any more embarrassment, more trouble, more pain

\- even though she doesn’t say it, the brunette would die before anything happened to rose while she was in the room

\- that much she was sure of

\- of course, thinking of rose only causes her brain to fixate on the other woman

\- and once more, luisa only debates for a few seconds before she’s off in the direction that the redhead went

\- she doesn’t care how many times rose pushes her away, she will keep reminding the woman that this is wrong

\- that all of this is wrong, has always been wrong

\- and that no matter how much it hurts or how hard it is, luisa will always be there, will always _love _her

\- will always try to find her, try to bring her back from whatever darkness she may be lost in

\- right now, the literal task of finding rose is proving to be difficult

\- and luisa is on the brink of true panic when she’s searched almost everywhere on the first floor for the woman

\- both of the elevators remain on the ground level, and she knows rose would never leave a function

\- more like emilio wouldn’t allow it

\- but luisa can’t go down that path right now

\- so, her eyes are drawn to the stairwell, the door stuck open about an inch

\- it’s something that rafael had said he would fix, insisting that emilio need not worry about calling a maintenance person

\- it was another charade that rafael put on to impress his father

\- and normally annoyance would take root, but right now luisa can only be thankful for her brother’s laziness

\- she pushes the door to the stairwell open slowly, and, as she suspected, finds rose sitting on the downward flight in front of her

\- the woman’s back is to her, head leaning against the cinderblock with slender arms wrapped around her own waist

\- luisa can’t stop herself from closing the distance between them, slowly lowering herself to sit on the stair next to rose

\- it only takes a moment to break luisa’s heart in two

\- it’s the slight turn of rose’s head, the way her teary, red eyes lock with luisa’s that does the brunette in

\- she doesn’t even hesitate this time, wrapping one arm tenderly around the woman’s back, easing rose into her own, more solid frame

\- rose doesn’t fight her, just tucks herself into the crook of luisa’s neck, hot tears burning the tanned flesh there

\- luisa turns in to her then, her free hand moving up to rest gently in soft hair, lightly massaging

\- she drops her arm and tightens her hold on rose’s waist

\- luisa hesitates when she realizes what she’s done, unsure if the move will cause rose any pain, and prepares to loosen her grip

\- a soft squeeze of her thigh lets her know that it’s fine, that rose is _okay_, rose wants her there, and luisa releases the breath she’d been holding

\- she’s unsure of how long they stay like that, rose wrapped up in the safety of luisa’s arms, her quiet cries dying into occasional sniffles

\- luisa feels the tears dry, physically forces herself to remain calm, to count the cinderblocks that make up the wall, anything to keep the white-hot anger at bay

\- she can feel the tickle of rose’s eyelashes on the sensitive skin of her neck, can feel rose finally close her eyes and leave them that way

\- feels the woman’s breathing slow

\- listens intently to the steady beat of rose’s heart

\- luisa doesn’t think anything of the soft kiss she presses to rose’s hair, indulges herself by letting her lips linger for a few seconds

\- rose still smells exactly like she remembers, fresh and floral, but also sweet like honey, expensive

\- acting on instinct, luisa draws the woman impossibly closer, places another sweet kiss into soft hair and moves her mouth to rose’s ear

\- _everything is going to be okay_, luisa whispers

\- she only wishes that she could believe her own words

\- she feels rose open her eyes and shake her head

\- when she pulls back, luisa maintains the lose grip she has on rose’s waist, both unwilling and unable to let go yet

\- _i wish that were true_, rose whispers back, her eyes glistening with more unshed tears

\- luisa can’t help but think about how even like this, rose is absolutely, heartbreakingly beautiful

\- _it is, _luisa whispers, luisa lies, _i promise_.

\- this would never be okay, this rose in front of her, this rose whose skin is marred by the heavy touches of an ungrateful, abusive husband

\- this rose who withdraws so easily, who so very clearly hides herself, although luisa is sure rose tries to do it in a way that nobody notices

\- but luisa does, and it is _not _okay

\- a wave of affection bubbles uncontrollably as all of the brunette’s emotions well up inside her

\- it had always been like this with rose, the love uncontainable, unable to be masked or hidden

\- luisa is gentle when she leans in, insistent but restrained, eyes tracking rapidly over rose’s face for any sign of discomfort

\- she’s immensely relieved when there’s none

\- in fact, rose’s bottom lip trembles a bit, her breath catching as she imperceptibly leans in to luisa

\- the brunette catches rose’s lips so gently, rose feels like she could start crying again

\- she’d almost forgotten what it was like to be touched with such reverence, with such care

\- and luisa had always been an expert at all of those things

\- even now, when the anger rolling off of the shorter woman is almost palpable, luisa is still so tender in the way she touches her

\- and rose can’t help but think, of all the things going wrong in her life, luisa is not one of them, will never be

\- she sighs into luisa’s lips, the kiss turning more insistent

\- and when rose runs a slender hand farther up luisa’s thigh, she relishes the way it makes luisa shiver

\- her hand weaves itself into dark waves, holding luisa to her, giving herself to luisa

\- for a moment, she forgets where they are, forgets the dull aches that plague her body, forgets that this is just a stolen moment in a nightmarish reality

\- and when she feels herself arch into luisa, tearing her mouth away to let out a breathy sigh

\- she’s brought back to the present, her eyes widening, panic blooming in her chest and clawing up her throat

\- _luisa_, she breathes, making no move to escape the woman’s arms, just hangs her head

\- _i’m sorry, _comes the quick reply, _i’m so sorry. i shouldn’t have–_

\- rose’s heart shatters, and she opens her mouth to say something, but all that escapes is a choked sob

\- she pulls luisa back to her mouth with a hand on the back of the brunette’s neck

\- kisses her with everything she has, and it’s messy

\- full of teeth and tongue, and she leans into luisa, feels her brace herself with an arm behind them

\- and then rose pulls back, _you have nothing to be sorry for. _

\- rose runs her fingers down the side of luisa’s cheek, _it’s not you. it’s never you_.

\- luisa swallows and rose watches the motion of her throat carefully, wishes they had met in another space, another time

\- but they hadn’t

\- and emilio will be expecting her back soon

\- she’d bought herself fifteen minutes, had planned on collecting herself, pulling herself together, reigning in the anger, the hurt, the deep sadness

\- but she had no idea how long it had been, and he’d undoubtedly come looking for her if she kept him waiting

\- the very thought of what would happen if he found them like this, wrapped in each other’s arms

\- lost in an intimacy that could never be between anyone but lovers

\- it makes her shudder, and as hard as it is to not melt into luisa, to grab her hand and run down the stairs without ever looking back

\- she can’t do that, not yet

\- and so, rose wipes her eyes, grits her teeth

\- she clenches her jaw, untangles herself from luisa

\- the fists she makes with her hands are so tight that there’s little crescents on her palms when she finally relaxes

\- rose stands up without a word, straightens out her outfit and tamps every single thing she’s feeling into a box

\- luisa is both horrified and wrought with anguish as she watches it happen, watches the mechanical way that rose retreats into herself

\- _rose, don’t do this_, luisa begs, and she’s pushing herself up, extending her hand towards rose again

\- but the redhead draws back like she’s been burnt, _this was a mistake. _

\- luisa clenches her jaw, her fingers twitching as she brings them back to her side

\- _you can’t keep doing this you know. we have to talk about it sometime, we have to do something. _

\- rose just shakes her head, taking a step towards the door, _there’s nothing to talk about, and there’s certainly nothing to **do**_.

\- luisa’s head hurts from dealing with the drastic difference not only in rose’s behavior five minutes ago, which is bad enough

\- but she has no idea how to talk to the woman standing in front of her now, and it’s starting to settle in her chest that she may not get rose back

\- rose pushes past luisa to open the door, but she’s stopped by the brunette’s hand on it

\- she can’t help the flinch, all too familiar with a heavy hand on the door and what it means for her

\- but nothing happens, it’s just luisa’s kind features, the sadness and concern about rose’s mannerisms conveyed deeply by dark eyes

\- _he doesn’t deserve you, _luisa spits, _you don’t belong with him._

\- rose is surprised at the harshness of luisa’s tone, but doesn’t blame her, knows this must be torture for luisa too

\- but she has to push forward, and so she allows luisa’s words to fuel her anger, uses it to mask her true feelings

\- _yes, well, i married **him**_.

\- the _not you_, is implied, and rose knows it will hurt, in fact, luisa visibly recoils at her words

\- _i’m painfully aware of that fact, rose, _luisa bites back, _all i’m saying is that at some point you need to take a step back and look where it’s gotten you._

\- luisa regrets the words as soon as she says them

\- in no way would she _ever _blame rose for her situation, would she _ever _hold rose responsible for the pain she’s in

\- and the intense hurt that flashes on rose’s face makes luisa want to bury her face in her hands

\- and then the steely demeanor is back

\- _fuck off, luisa._

\- and with that, she’s out the door, leaving luisa to stand and wonder what the fuck she had just done

\- luckily, luisa recovers quickly, and she _needs _to stop rose before she gets back to the party

\- needs to fix what she just did, even if it won’t matter in the end

\- so, she’s flying out the door with rose on her mind

\- rose, who, coincidentally, she spots not even ten steps outside of the door

\- rose, who has been backed up against the wall of the alcove that leads to the stairs

\- rose, whose arm is being gripped so tightly by emilio, that luisa can see where his nails are digging into pale skin

\- rose, who pleads with him, _let go, emilio. you’re hurting me. _

\- and emilio, emilio who only pulls her tighter to him, whispering something angrily before he lets go

\- but luisa is already moving towards him, luisa whose vision has narrowed to a tunnel, who can’t focus on anything but the pain in rose’s voice

\- pain that her father is causing

\- she has her hands on his back in five seconds flat, fingers gripping the material of his suit jacket and using her leverage to pull him away

\- the element of surprise helps, and before she knows it, luisa has him pinned against the wall, her breath hot in his ear

\- _she said to **let go**, _luisa growls, _so don’t you fucking touch her._

\- she clenches her fists in his jacket again, her arms tense and she knows she’s going to do something she regrets

\- but then there’s rose, blue eyes wide, a myriad of emotions flashing across her beautiful face

\- and she’s at luisa’s side in a moment, her fingers splayed on luisa’s bicep and giving it a gentle squeeze

\- _luisa, don’t, _she pleads softly, maneuvers quickly so that she’s looking into brown eyes, placing herself between luisa and emilio

\- luisa can see that rose is imploring her to let go, but she’s so _mad_

\- and then it all catches up to her, where they are, who she has pinned against the wall, and rose’s eyes are wide, so wide

\- so, she lets go wordlessly, stepping back and looking down at her hands for a second

\- rose has a hand on emilio’s shoulder, whispering quickly in his ear, and she sees him clench a fist

\- it makes her sick, watching rose have to talk him down, have to placate _him_

\- and luisa is already poised to go again, to pull rose away and do much worse than push him against the wall

\- but she sees the tension leave his shoulders, here’s him slur, _whatever you say, my darling._

\- and she realizes he’s drunk

\- suddenly, luisa feels a weight on her chest and it’s crushing

\- he’s drunk, and he’s now, at best irritated, at worse, furious

\- and rose is going to be the one that spends the rest of the night with him

\- rose, who had put herself between the two, rose who understood that luisa couldn’t actually harm her father

\- that it couldn’t go any farther than it had

\- rose who has now offered herself up to calm him, a consolation to keep him from reacting

\- luisa thinks she may puke

\- he turns around then, wrapping an arm around rose, in part because that’s how he’s always shown that she is _his_

\- and in part because he’s having trouble standing on his own

\- nonetheless, he levels his gaze on luisa, _i’m going to let this slide_, he grumbles, _because it’s my birthday and i’m feeling kind._

\- luisa fights a scoff, wants to roll her eyes at the faux benevolence pouring from her father right now

\- _but make no mistake, if i didn’t have other…festivities…to attend to_, he lets his hand drop below rose’s waist

\- and when he gives the woman a quick once over, the lust in his eyes practically shining

\- _then i’d show you your fucking place and you’d be out of my hotel, _he grunts

\- luisa says nothing, she’s not concerned with the empty threats from her drunk father

\- she is, however, concerned with all of the implications of what he’d just said, and the way that rose is worrying her bottom lip again

\- thousands of things she wants to say race through her mind, but she doesn’t get the chance to say anything before emilio is roughly brushing past

\- he hits her with his shoulder none too gently on his way past, but he doesn’t react, too focused on making his way to the elevators

\- luisa turns to watch them depart, her heart beating loudly in her ears

\- and when rose turns her head to cast a glance back luisa’s way, her usually bright eyes are now dull with anger, pain, and fear

\- luisa imagines what it would’ve been like if she had smashed his head into the wall

\- over and over and over

* * *

\- the fifth time luisa wants to kill emilio, she almost does

\- she had gone back to her room after the party, though it was tempting to stay and down every single drink they made at the bar

\- luisa had paced for a good fifteen minutes when she got back, changing into running shorts and an old college t-shirt in an effort to get comfortable

\- it doesn’t work

\- she’s restless, too anxious to sit still, and she briefly wonders how the hell she is going to sleep tonight

\- her mind races, but there is only rose

\- rose, rose, rose, rose

\- rose who is four floors above with her father

\- rose who is being subjected to god knows what

\- rose who was adamant that luisa not be involved

\- and yet, it was rose that had clung to her for dear life in that stairwell

\- rose who looked at luisa like she was the only person in the world

\- the only person who could save her

\- and rose who insisted that there be a chasm between them nonetheless

\- luisa nearly put a hole in her wall as she thought about it

\- the agony of loving someone she couldn’t protect, of loving someone she couldn’t be with

\- of swearing her life to a woman who she worries has disappeared for good

\- in a moment of weakness, she’s calling room service

\- looking at the spirits section of the menu in her drawer, she lets out a shaky breath

\- this isn’t her

\- and even if her father has taken rose away, she won’t let him take this from her as well

\- so, she hangs up and goes back to the couch

\- she almost doesn’t answer the door when she hears the knocking

\- it’s nearly three in the morning, her nerves are raw, and luisa won’t be able to put together a coherent thought for somebody given everything that’s going on

\- _‘m coming, _she manages, trudging across the living room while there’s another knock, more insistent this time

\- it makes her heart heavy, the behavior reminding her of rose, not that everything didn’t remind her of rose

\- but luisa, who is always fifteen minutes late, would often be on the receiving end of a knock like that from rose, who was always fifteen minutes early

\- when she finally opens the door, luisa has to make sure she’s not going fucking crazy

\- because rose is standing in front of her, rose who had been consuming her thoughts, and luisa honestly wonders if this is insanity

\- but it’s reality, and for once, luisa wishes the terrifying image before her was all in her head

\- she takes in rose’s now busted lip, the angry red splotch on her left cheek, the discoloration that has already begun to cover her neck

\- her blouse is torn halfway down the front, and now that she’s barefoot, rose’s stature is so much smaller, so much more vulnerable

\- it all brings luisa crashing back into the moment, her eyes wide as she just stares

\- _can i come in? _comes rose’s shaky whisper, and if anything, the request washes over luisa like a bucket of ice water

\- _god, rose, _luisa springs into action, swings the door open, ushers the woman into her room, _of course you can_. as if she would ever turn rose away.

\- luisa fastens the chain across the door once she closes it, her hands shaky as she turns to face the other woman, _what happened? are you okay?_

\- she’s not okay, luisa can see that, but the placation is out of her mouth before she can stop it

\- rose doesn’t answer, her eyes are watery now and she lets herself fall into luisa instead, luisa whose strong arms wrap around her instantly

\- rose clings to luisa’s neck, holding herself as tightly to the other woman as she can, no longer able to hold back the sobs that she had been swallowing

\- luisa, for the most part, is unsure of what to do, her brain still not having registered what the hell is going on

\- she knows a few things, though

\- one: she cannot let go of rose

\- two: this whole thing, it ends tonight

\- three: nobody will ever lay a finger on the woman in her arms again

\- luisa buries her nose in the side of rose’s loose curls, whispers sweet nothings in her ear, rubs her back

\- _i’m sorry, i’m sorry. luisa, i’m so sorry, _comes rose’s quick words, her voice is thick and luisa can feel her begin to tremble even more

\- tears spring to luisa’s eyes, if her heart wasn’t already shattered, it was now, and she feels rose mumble more apologies into her neck

\- it’s the world’s saddest refrain, and luisa just holds rose tighter to her, _no, rose. you have **nothing **to be sorry about. absolutely nothing. _

\- her voice is firm, but gentle, and luisa wants to continue to tell rose that none of this is on her, _ever_, but they will have that conversation later

\- right now, she’s worried about rose’s breathing, how quick it is, how it seems to be getting worse

\- _rose_, luisa whispers, gently nuzzling the woman’s head, _rose, i know that it’s a lot, but i need you to breathe with me. can you do that?_

\- there’s a moment where it’s just rose hyperventilating and luisa’s heart pounding in her ears, but then she feels rose nod against her

\- and this she can do

\- she can get through a panic attack, has gotten through many herself, and she takes it step by step

\- they stand there for what could’ve been hours, but was really only minutes, as luisa forces herself to take deep breaths, breathing so that rose could mimic it

\- she forces herself to be strong in the hopes that some of that strength can be used by rose, can shroud her and keep her safe

\- eventually, rose quiets down, though she maintains a vice like hold on luisa’s neck, breathing better, but still shaky

\- luisa can feel the puffs of hot air on her throat, but they’re coming slower and slower as rose’s control increases

\- the brunette splays her hand across rose’s back, the material is soft under her fingers like it had been just hours before in the stairwell

\- only now, it reminds her of rose’s current state, and luisa knows that they can’t stay here, can’t stay in this bubble no matter how much she wants to

\- the very idea of releasing her hold on rose goes against every fiber of her being, but luisa knows it’s the right thing to do, it’s best for rose

\- _i have to let go, _luisa says quietly, she feels rose tense and she tightens her own arms briefly, letting rose know that she won’t be alone

\- _i’m going to pick you up and we’re gonna go to the bedroom. can you hold on to me?_

\- rose nods against her neck again, and as soon as the woman’s arms loosen a bit, luisa is bending down and lifting behind rose’s knees

\- luisa’s other arm stays securely around her waist, and rose adjusts her grip on luisa, keeping her face tucked into the warmth of the brunette’s neck

\- it’s a short walk to the bedroom, and luisa worries herself again at how light rose is, racks her brain to see if this anything new or if she’s just on edge

\- she can’t dwell on it too long, because she has to focus on setting rose down and disentangling herself

\- luisa is cautious as she places rose on the edge of her bed, kneeling in front of her and placing her hands on rose’s thighs

\- rose maintains her own contact, moving her hand from luisa’s neck to rest on her shoulder

\- the fact that rose seems to be mindlessly twirling luisa’s hair between her fingers is somewhat of a comfort, but luisa forges on

\- _ro, we need to get you out of these clothes_, she says quietly, and despite her earlier assessment of the redhead’s state of mind, rose seems to be present

\- blue eyes shift from luisa’s shoulder to meet luisa’s own gaze, and when rose nods, the brunette rises slowly

\- luisa presses a kiss to the side of rose’s head before turning to her closet, weeding through her clothes to find a comfy shirt and pants that will fit the taller woman

\- she ends up finding an older pair of sweatpants that she has to cuff at the ankles and decides her softest crewneck sweatshirt will do the trick

\- when luisa steps out of her closet, she has to maintain a death grip on the items in her hand, or else she’d have dropped them

\- rose is still on the end of the bed, but she’s stripped down to her underwear and bra, the set is black and lacy, albeit sensible

\- and it’s something that normally would drive luisa crazy, but she can’t even focus on it

\- visible now are the smatterings of color across rose’s pale body, the marks on her thighs, shades of purple that dot her hips

\- there’s a garish bite mark on her collarbone that makes luisa want to vomit, and on her arm…

\- luisa can already see that there will be a mark from where emilio grabbed her earlier and she has half the mind to march up to his room to end him right there

\- the brunette doesn’t know what to say, can’t make herself say anything at all, actually

\- eventually, rose shifts, having noticed luisa emerge from the closet and the resulting stare that accompanied her exit

\- she moves her arms across her stomach, looking to the side slightly, and luisa realizes that rose is obviously self-conscious

\- luisa berates herself mentally, feeling guilty for standing there and doing just about the dumbest thing she could’ve done

\- she wants to drop to her knees in front of the woman and kiss every single inch of skin, wants to kiss them better, kiss them away

\- instead, she settles for sitting next to rose and tangling their fingers together, _you’re the most beautiful woman i have ever seen, always._

\- luisa whispers the words and hears rose give a weak scoff, but she means it, wraps her arms around rose’s frame, squeezes briefly before leaning back

\- she knows rose is able to dress herself, but luisa is moving to help her maneuver the sweatshirt on anyway, steadies her when she stands to pull the sweatpants up slender legs

\- they fit fine, and luisa can’t help but think rose looks better in them than she ever could, and more importantly, rose looks somewhat comfortable

\- there’s still the matter of what exactly led to rose being here right now, of what led to rose ending up outside her door in this state

\- luisa’s eyes flick back to rose’s lips and the blood there that has now dried

\- she forces oxygen into her lungs and runs her knuckles lightly along rose’s cheek, _i’m going to go grab a warm washcloth, i’ll be right back. _

\- rose simply leans into the touch before she looks up to luisa, _thank you_.

\- luisa feels her throat constrict, can only nod while she forces the corners of her lips to turn up, there is nothing that rose needs to thank her for

\- when she returns from the bathroom, rose is staring at the wall, her hands restless in her lap

\- luisa sits next to her on the bed, lightly grabbing rose’s hand and rubbing soft circles on the back of it until rose finally looks over at her

\- _i’m gonna try and clean this up a bit, let me know if i hurt you, okay?_ luisa waits for the soft _yes_ that falls from rose’s lips to begin

\- she tries to keep her touch light, working carefully to remove the dried tear tracks before she moves lower to rose’s lip

\- the redhead says nothing when luisa dabs at the blood there, though her wince is indicative that it’s still sore

\- luckily, it’s not too bad, and luisa trusts rose enough to tell her if she should stop

\- _he wouldn’t stop talking about you_, rose finally says, _normally, i can block him out, block his touch **out**, but he kept saying your name and i couldn’t do it. _

\- luisa pauses her movements, her eyes welling up with tears as she digests what rose has just said

\- rose reaches out, rests her hand on luisa’s leg, digs her fingers in a little before she continues

\- _i was trying so hard to distract him, fucking embarrassing myself in the hopes that he would forget everything for a while, but he wouldn’t stop. he was being so rough. _

\- luisa’s jaw clenches, her muscles tense involuntarily, ready to fight like it’s not just them in her room

\- _and i couldn’t do it, i couldn’t let him touch me when all i could think of was you,_ rose whispers, her breath catches, and she locks eyes with luisa

\- there’s a determinedness in her features that luisa recognizes, and despite the circumstances her heart swells

\- because that’s the rose she knows

\- _but wives don’t tell their husbands **no**, _rose lets out a hollow laugh, _and he got angry, so angry._

\- luisa’s eyes fall shut for a moment, but she finishes cleaning around rose’s lip and then drops the towel on the floor, bringing her hand back to cover rose’s

\- she wraps an arm around rose’s shoulders, places a kiss to the side of her head

\- _to be fair, i probably made it worse. i told him he’d be lucky if he ever developed half as much character as you, even luckier if he found a quarter of your intelligence._

\- rose smirks, but luisa feels sick

\- they both know emilio has an ego, know what that would’ve done to him, but luisa brings rose’s hand to her mouth, places a soft kiss on the inside of her wrist, _none of this is on you_.

\- _and this, _rose points to her lip, _this was for telling him i was leaving. i told him the papers would arrive today, later this afternoon. _

\- luisa’s eyes widen at the revelation

\- rose filed for divorce?

\- rose was leaving emilio? was leaving her father?

\- rose was going to be free and this would be over?

\- it seemed too good to be true, and as luisa’s eyes wandered down rose’s face to their joined hands, the faintest of bruises visible under the sleeve

\- luisa wonders why it had to come this far, why rose had to come to her with blood drawn before it was over

\- and damn it if rose hadn't always been an expert at reading luisa’s mind, _you’re wondering why i didn’t leave sooner. i can tell, i know you, luisa. _

\- and honestly, the least luisa can do right now is spare rose the lying

\- so, she nods, and as guilt riddles her features, luisa lets a single tear track down her cheek, _yes._

\- rose brings luisa’s hand to her mouth, kisses her fingers

\- fingers that have never hurt her, would never mark her in the way her husband has, fingers that are always an extension of luisa’s love

\- rose closes her eyes, leans into luisa, allows the brunette to support her weight fully, to draw her near

\- and she tells luisa everything

\- she tells her that emilio had long ago suspected something was different between them

\- tells her how he’d threaten to leave luisa out of the will, to cut her off, to kick her out

\- how she’d try to placate him, try to be the perfect wife in an effort to assuage those fears

\- she tells luisa how he picked up gambling, which led to the drinking, but he was better at the latter than the former

\- rose tells her how he lost so much money that the bank was threatening to take the hotel, how he was going to lose it all

\- how rose couldn’t leave him at that point, couldn’t let him abandon his children like that

\- rose explains that she couldn’t do anything about the debt, but as his wife she could list the hotel, how she sold it

\- sold it and transferred half of the money to an account for rafael

\- rafael who always assumed the worst about rose, luisa thinks bitterly, but who rose looked out for nonetheless

\- more than his own goddamn father

\- and the other half, well, of course that’s in an account for luisa

\- and the brunette can’t help but linger on the fact that rose gave nothing to herself

\- _it was never about me_, she says, tracing little patterns on the skin of luisa’s thighs

\- what she means is, _it was always about you_.

\- and luisa understands, she understands why rose did what she did

\- why she had to keep luisa away, just long enough to make sure emilio didn’t ruin everything

\- but it doesn’t hurt any less

\- it doesn’t take away all of the times she had to see them together, had to see him with his hands on rose, his mouth on rose, see him anywhere _near _rose

\- it doesn’t make up for the time they lost, for the painful goodbyes after each secret encounter

\- and god, it doesn’t make up for the toll that emilio took from rose’s body

\- nothing ever would

\- and luisa would rather have absolutely fucking nothing to her name than to ever see rose in pain

\- but she understands

\- rose tells her that the sale is in the terms of the divorce, that it’s legal, that the debt will remain emilio’s responsibility to pay off

\- he’ll have to liquidate any other assets, but luisa can’t bring herself to care at all

\- luisa lets out a sigh, dips her head so that she can look at rose

\- rose who put herself through hell, who suffered in silence because she wanted to protect luisa, thought it was best for her

\- rose who is here now, who won’t have to leave again

\- rose who luisa loves, and who will never have to worry about whether or not the brunette will be at her side

\- because luisa will always find a way, thinks briefly that she was born to do so, born to be with rose

\- and rose who is closing the distance between them, fingers splayed across luisa’s thigh as she leans up and joins their lips

\- luisa thinks that none of it was worth it, but god it felt amazing to be kissing rose again, it felt like home

\- to cradle her jaw, to feel the soft whimpers that rose tries to swallow, to feel the way she pauses, rests her cheek on luisa’s before going capturing her lips once more

\- luisa could die like this, could stay in this moment forever, _would_ stay in the moment forever, but life simply will not allow such luxuries

\- there’s a knock at the door again, and this time luisa frowns

\- rose is frozen next to her and luisa can hear her heart start to beat faster, sees her breathing pick up

\- _hey, it’s okay, _luisa assures her, guiding rose’s chin until they’re looking at each other again, _i won’t let anything happen to you, not anymore. _

\- luisa gets up slowly, feels rose squeeze her wrist in an effort to keep the brunette from leaving, but she lets go

\- and luisa smiles warmly, bending down to cradle rose against her chest for a brief second, laying a kiss to the top of her head before she leaves the room, _stay here_.

\- to luisa’s surprise, there’s no insistent or frantic knocking, and she takes that as a good sign

\- but when she flicks the deadbolt and opens the door as far as the chain will allow, sees her father leaning against the frame, arms crossed, luisa feels her heart jump into her throat

\- _i know she’s here_, he growls, and luisa thinks this is the worst time for her mind to go blank

\- she tries so hard to level her voice, _well, you’re wrong_, she fails

\- he laughs something mirthless, something harsh, leans in

\- he still smells like alcohol, but luisa can see that he’s mostly in control

\- she thinks that makes it worse, actually

\- _i know you’re fucking my wife, and i know she ran down here to you_, he stands up straight, _and you’re going to give her back and get the fuck out of my hotel._

\- luisa feels the rage boil up inside her as he speaks about rose like she’s an object, a possession

\- the lewd way he talks about her, luisa’s mind flashes back to earlier at his birthday, the way he treated rose

\- her rage is starting to take over

\- _yeah, well, she’s not your wife anymore and i believe this is no longer your hotel, so, do me a favor and leave me the **fuck** alone,_ luisa doesn’t even think while she’s speaking

\- from the look on his face, she wonders if she should’ve

\- the vein in his forehead is pulsing and she can hear him breathe through his nose, face reddening and fists clenching

\- her hand is on the door, ready to shut it and lock it, hoping he’ll get the message and go away

\- they can sort this out later, and she’s tired, so so so unimaginably tired

\- but then emilio’s eyes focus behind her, and luisa prays she’s wrong

\- _luisa?_

\- it’s rose’s voice, and when luisa turns her head, she can see rose standing in the bedroom doorway, arms wrapped around herself and worry written across her features

\- _it’s fine, _luisa rushes the words out, _go back, **please**_.

\- rose can sense the urgency in luisa’s voice and she wrinkles her brow in confusion, but luisa can see the moment rose looks past her, sees who’s at the door

\- and fuck, if this isn’t the worst timing in the world

\- luisa hates that she can literally see the fear take over rose’s body, can see the woman freeze in place, hates that he has that power over her

\- _i knew it_, emilio’s smiling now, but it’s sick, and luisa shakes her head, _just go away_.

\- luisa shuts the door on him, her mind instantly switching back to rose, but she’s knocked over from the force of the door swinging into her

\- she thinks that she really needs to get better at remembering the deadbolt, and that this could not be any worse

\- luisa watches bits of drywall fall to the floor along with the chain that had been keeping the door shut, and she doesn’t have time to process before emilio is stepping into the hotel room

\- from her spot on the floor, she can see rose, can see them staring at each other, rose’s eyes wide with fear, and her father’s eyes blazing with anger

\- luisa accepts it then, accepts that she will die before rose is subjected to anything else at her father’s hand

\- _rose, go! _the brunette yells, mentally urging rose to snap out of it, _block the door and call-_

\- luisa doesn’t get to finish before her father is advancing on the woman she loves, and luisa is able to reach just far enough to wrap a hand around his ankle

\- it trips him up enough that he stumbles, the commotion forcing rose into action

\- luisa lets out a shaky breath as she hears her bedroom door shut, hopes to any deity who may be listening that she can hold him off

\- she has no regard for her own wellbeing, doesn’t care what happens to herself, as long as rose is safe, as long as this ends tonight

\- when she looks back on it later, luisa realizes it’s the first time she’s ever blacked out without alcohol

\- she just knows there was a struggle, and it was just her and her father and her fury

\- god, if her anger hadn’t consumed her in those moments

\- luisa doesn’t know how long she’s in her living room with him, but she is forced back to cognizance when she hears rose’s voice in her ear, can feel rose’s hands on her arms

\- _luisa, you have to let go, _rose sounds concerned, and luisa still hasn’t realized why, _luisa, they’re just down the hallway, the police are almost here, you have to let him go_.

\- it’s only then that luisa looks down, realizes that she had somehow straddled emilio, her hands around his neck

\- he’s red in the face, nearly purple, his own hands scratching at hers as he tries to get free

\- she can feel it, can feel his life under her fingers and she wants to snuff it out, wants to punish him for everything he’s done

-_ luisa, this isn’t you, please, _rose is pleading with her, kneels in front of the brunette and takes luisa’s face in her hands, _please_.

\- the familiarity of the situation resonates enough with luisa that she starts thinking again, only this time, rose isn’t putting herself between them for _him_

\- she’s doing it for luisa

\- and, luisa thinks, rose is right

\- this isn’t who she is, this isn’t the person rose fell in love with, so luisa listens to rose’s voice

\- she lets go, pushing herself off of emilio and stumbling backwards on her hands, scooting away from him and moving her back against the wall

\- rose is there with her, wraps an arm around luisa’s shoulders and grabs luisa’s wrist with her free hand

\- rose turns her head to the side as officers pour in to the room, buries her face in brunette waves, holds on to luisa for dear life

\- it’s over

\- _you saved me_, rose whispers, _i love you_.

\- _i love you too_, always, luisa thinks, _we’re going to be okay_.

\- and for the first time, they both believe it.


End file.
